Weekly Recap: December 8 – 14

Happy Sunday! How was your weekend? Isn’t it crazy how fast December is flying by? And, Pittsburghers at least, hasn’t December been great for running, with no snow and decent temperatures? While I met all my goals for the week, it was a light week for running with only 12 miles. Here’s how it went down.

Tuesday
Morning: Tempo run, 4 miles, 2 at 10:20-10:30 pace
At 36 degrees, no precipitation, and little wind, it was a really great morning for a run. I felt like I was working hard, but a tempo run should really be right about a 10:00 pace for me.

Saturday
Morning: Pace/Speed Run? 3 miles, 30:55, 10:17 pace
I’ll be writing another post about this, but Saturday was our Jingle Bell Run 5K, which I’ve been agonizing over whether or not to do. I didn’t do it. So when I went out on my own, I planned to do a pace run (11:00 pace), but once I got started I was still in turmoil over the Jingle Bell Run and thought maybe I’d just race on my own. I started at a 9:38 pace then thought better of trying to race. I slowed the second mile but finished with a faster third mile. I did wear my Lululemon cranberry Think Fast Pullover in a nod to holiday colors for the Jingle Bell Run. It was pretty cold–26 but felt like 19 when I went out.

After my run I did a 20-minute core workout.

Saturday night was my office holiday party. I’ve never gone before (I’ve been there seven years) but decided I should go at least once. The event planner told me she could request a vegan meal for me (the vegetarian meal had eggs and cheese), so I didn’t even snack before we went. It was at the Westin Convention Center in a huge ballroom, and was super fancy schmancy. The table settings were gorgeous, and the party design carried through on the little menu cards at our plates, our name cards, our favors, and treat bags to take cookies. The favors were a beautifully wrapped box filled with various Sarris candies. We got there shortly before dinner, so I had time to only eat about 5 grape tomatoes and a few artichoke slices as an appetizer before they asked us to be seated. When they brought my meal, I stared at it, thinking they were kidding, and then expecting them to bring the rest to me. It was a plate of steamed vegetables. That, and nothing else. Dave joked that they’d simply steamed the leftover appetizers. It was so ridiculous, I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Plain steamed vegetables? As my entire meal? I should have handed it back to them and asked them to chop up the veggies and saute them in olive oil and garlic and bring it back to me. Or do that and add some beans. Or add beans and pasta to make it an actual meal. It’s not hard, people. These are professional chefs, and that’s the best they could do? I was so offended that I didn’t eat it. I had about two bites of portobello mushroom and that was it. Instead, I drank wine. And drank more wine. And drank more wine…I’m not a big drinker to begin with, and I get drunk very quickly over very little alcohol. So you can imagine how I turned out, with an almost completely empty stomach and all that wine. I was wise enough to greet the head honchos early on when I was still coherent, but the rest of the night I went up to many colleagues and drunkenly told them that they served me “a f—ing plate of steamed vegetables!” for dinner. Dave had the good sense to get me to leave fairly early before I completely embarrassed myself. But on the way out we passed the cookie table. I proceeded to snag two (not vegan!) cookies and jam them in my mouth while wobbling drunkenly on my high heels as I was leaving. Yeah, I’m sure I was a sight. I was so drunk that I don’t even remember coming home, but apparently I asked Dave for a bucket because there was a bucket beside my bed when I woke up. At 3 in the morning, the alcohol must have worn off because I woke up and was absolutely starving so went down to the kitchen to eat a banana. Moral of the story? I will never go to my office party again!

Sunday
My Sunday long, slow runs are the runs I look forward to most in the week. But given my condition the night before, I was not feeling great. After I took the dog for his morning walk, I laid down on the couch with a cup of hot tea, and two of my cats were only too happy to nest on my lap. Once I get cats on my lap, it’s very hard to get up! As the morning wore on and on, I realized I wasn’t going to run. When I told Dave, almost incredulously, “I don’t think I’m going to run today,” he said, “You’re crazy!” It really was crazy for me. Aside from the day after a big race, I’m not sure I’ve ever missed a Sunday run.

We took the dog for a long walk in the afternoon, but I actually didn’t work out at all. I spent all day baking, online shopping for most of the rest of my gifts, and running errands.

Iced Mocha Cookies

Gingerbread Men

I’m ready to put this day behind me. Here’s to a new, better week. Have fun running and working out!

I can't believe all they served you was a plate of steamed vegetables after you had asked in advance if a vegan meal could be made! They should have just said no so you could prepare! Sorry about that, but at least it sounds like you didn't need to use the bucket!

I love the balance of your workouts this week. I am thinking after the Miami Half I am going to take at least a month off from my 6-day-a-week running schedule so I can more easily incorporate other workouts without always being worried they are going to make me too sore to run.

Is it bad that I laughed? I could totally see myself doing the same thing, and since you didn't do anything stupid (mental note to do the same and greet bigwhigs early), I'm sure many of your coworkers thought it was amusing. You'll have a lifetime of other Sundays, revel in taking one unscheduled one off. Have a good week!

Sorry to hear about your holiday party!! Since it was at the Westin (and I imagine there are catering relationships with the hotel) sad to hear that the vegan meal was only veggies with no thought put into it. Nice selfie after your 20 minute work out (like the top) and your iced mocha cookies look delicious. Your gingerbread men look so happy!

That stinks about your office party! Last week, the person coordinating ours was giving me a hard time about not going, and I asked if there was even going to be vegan food there. She said yes, and kept telling me things that weren't vegan. People don't get it 🙁

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Welcome

Running is no fun if you don't look cute doing it! In this blog I share my passion for running and activewear. I'm chronicling my ever-evolving journey as a runner. I also post activewear reviews, healthy plant-based recipes, and pictures of my greyhound and kitties. Read more about me. Thanks for visiting!